Ouagadougou: The curtains closed on Saturday on the National Youth Championship, 2024-2025 season, held from July 8 to 11, 2026 in Bobo-Dioulasso. After three days of competition, AS Maya was crowned champion in the U20 category, Association Sportive de l'Avenir (ASA) in the U17 category, and AFC Gescer in the U15 category.According to Burkina Information Agency, the championship was organized by the Burkinabe Football Federation (FBF), following regional qualifiers and the National Championship 1. The event featured twelve teams, with four teams in each of the categories, namely U15, U17, and U20. For three days, young talents showcased their skills and determination to claim the national title in their respective categories.The U20 final, which marked the end of the championship, saw AS Maya face off against AFFA of Banfora. After a balanced first half, AS Maya, known as the Bees of Accart-Ville, scored two goals in the second half. Their opponents managed to score one goal in the final moments, but AS Maya secured a 2-1 victory to clinch the title.Oumarou Sawadogo, president of the Burkinabe Football Federation, emphasized the significance of holding this championship. "This championship had to be held. We were told that, because we are behind schedule, we should skip the 2024-2025 season and go directly to the 2025-2026 season. I said no; the mandate began in 2024, and it was a promise. We held this championship, and we will try, as far as possible, to catch up so that we can run the championship normally according to the planned schedule," he stated.Over the course of the competition, more than 50 goals were scored across all categories, highlighting the offensive prowess of the teams involved. In the final standings, AFC Gescer topped the U15 category with 7 points (+8), ASA maintained a perfect record in the U17 category with 9 points (+9), and AS Maya claimed the U20 title with 5 points.The victorious teams were awarded their respective category trophies, two sets of jerseys, a certificate of pa rticipation, and a cash prize.
